Canning Applesauce

With so many apples available we can make pies and desserts, cider, and applesauce. This Instructable will show how you can turn buckets of fresh apples into quarts or applesauce for enjoying all year long.

SUPPLIES

Lots of apples

Water or cider

EQUIPMENT

Cutting boards

Corer/slicer tool

Paring knife

Compost bucket

Stock pot or Dutch oven

Lemon juice

Long, strong stirring spoon

Squeezo (or other brand) strainer with standard screen

2 one cup measuring cups

Serving bowl (for catching the peelings)

2 loaf pans (for catching the sauce)

Several plastic ice cream buckets or other large containers

Rubber spatulas

Table knife

Wooden spoon

Canning funnel

Pressure canner

Quart canning jars

Canning lids and rings

Canning jar lifter

Hot pads

Dish cloth

Saucepan

Magnetic canning lid lifter

Trivets

Large (2' x 2') cardboard sheet

Sharpie marker

Put clean jars into the oven to heat to 250 degrees for at least 15 minutes to sterilize them. Put new lids, arranged front to front and back to back, in a saucepan with enough water to cover the lids. Heat the lids on low to soften the gasket material.

Give the apples a quick wash and then use the corer/slicer tool to remove the core and to slice the apple into sections. Use the small end of a wooden spoon to knock out the core and sections. DO NOT USE YOUR FINGERS. Cut out any bad spots and cut each slice into three or four pieces for quicker cooking. The cut pieces can be added directly to a stock pot with 3-4 cups of water or cider for slowly cooking. The chunks can also be added to large containers with water and a TBSP of lemon juice to cover the chunks. The water and lemon juice will help prevent the apples from browning. As you add chunks to the stock pot, don't fill it over 6-7" deep since you need to stir the cooking apples occasionally to prevent burning.

When the apples are softened, but not mushy, they are ready to be processed through the strainer. We use a Squeezo but there are other brands. Instead of cranking the strainer I installed a washer and threaded a nut onto the shaft and use a variable speed drill, fitted with a 1/2" socket, to very slowly do the turning.  

Add two quarts of water (or whatever your instruction manual recommends) to the canner and start it heating.

Transfer the pot of cooked apples to a trivet next to the strainer. Use a measuring cup to fill the hopper on the strainer and slowly squeeze the hot apples through the strainer. As you do, the apple pulp will be squeezed through the screen and skins will be ejected from the end of the strainer cone. The skins can be run through the strainer again before they are added to the compost bucket.

Remove a hot jar from the oven and fill it with hot sauce. Put the canning funnel in the jar to help prevent spills. If there are air bubbles visible in the jar, use a table knife to work them out. Wipe the jar rim with a clean, damp cloth and install a hot lid, removing it from the hot water using the magnetic lid lifter. Screw on the ring and tighten it securely. Add the jar to the hot canner . When the canner is full, process according to the maker's instructions.

After the jars have processed, remove the canner from the heat and wait for the pressure to dissipate. With pressure completely gone, remove the canner lid, tilting it away from you as you do. This will help to prevent steam burns. Use the jar lifter to transfer the jars to a sheet of corrugated that will absorb any water and protect your countertop. Don't touch the jars for the next few hours. You will hear the lids "ping" as they cool and seal the jars. The next day you can remove the rings, wash the jars, mark the lids with the year, and store them for later use.